Paedophile found with abuse images

A PAEDOPHILE who shared sickening child abuse images over social media was found with more indecent images days after being given a suspended sentence.

Brian Anderson was given a suspended prison sentence last month after being found in possession of over 270 sickening indecent images.

The 61-year-old had also distributed a category C indecent image via a WhatsApp message to another like-minded pervert.

But merely days after receiving his sentence, Anderson was found in possession of more indecent images after a spot check was carried out at his home.

Durham Crown Court heard that on April 7, an officer went to Anderson’s home to carry out a spot check and a mobile phone was examined. Chris Morrison, prosecuting, said search history was recovered which showed Anderson had been accessing a “foreign website” and searched for images of young boys. The phone was taken for further examination and he was arrested.

Lewis Kerr, defending, said Anderson, of Teesdale Terrace, Stanley, “pleaded guilty at the first opportunity” and said it was a “small number” of images found.

He said Anderson had not yet had the opportunity to engage with the probation services and was a man of “good character”.

He added that he currently cares for his mother, who would be “impacted by his incarceration”.

Anderson was jailed for 34 weeks and is still subject to sex offender notification requirements.